In 1925, the Dallas Hilton became the first hotel to use the Hilton name.[17] In 1927, Hilton expanded to Waco, Texas,[18] where he opened the first hotel with air-conditioning in public areas and cold running water.[19][20][21]
In 1943, Hilton assumed management of the Roosevelt Hotel and purchased the Plaza Hotel, both well-established high-end luxury hotels less than a mile apart in New York City's Midtown Manhattan neighborhood. With this pair of acquisitions Hilton established the first hospitality company to span the contiguous United States.[22]